Adults who have not completed their high school education can face challenges when trying to get hired or advance in their careers, but Goodwill Industries has a solution.
The Goodwill Industries of Chesapeake Inc. will open an adult high school in Baltimore City this year.
The Excel Center is a tuition-free, public high school for adults age 21 and older.
The program has been designed to accommodate the working adults with four-day weeks and an eight-week term, with classes year round.
The center first launched in 2010 with a school in Indiana and now has 31 schools in five states and Washington, D.C. According to Goodwill officials, since its inception Excel Centers have graduated more than 9,500 adult learners.
Baltimore’s Excel Centers will offer transportation assistance, free childcare while students are in class, flexible class schedules, and an accelerated curriculum with job training.
Every student develops an individual learning plan based upon their interests and capabilities, with the courses and curriculum tailored to each student.
Additionally, the center will provide students with life coaches to help them with college applications, enrollment, and training to pursue their desired careers.
“More than 80,000 adults in Baltimore don’t have a high school diploma, severely limiting their income potential and employment opportunities,” Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake’s President & CEO Lisa Rusyniak said in a statement. “Our mission is to prepare people to secure and retain employment. Our Excel Center will enable participants to go on to higher education or vocational training so they can earn a better living and make a better life.”
Student recruitment for Baltimore’s location will begin this spring and will initially recruit 150 students, but will later increase to 350 students.
The school will officially open in September at 222 E. Redwood St.
For additional information visit ExcelcenterMd.org.
In the past, I have actually heard people say that they don’t want to donate to Good Will because it is a “for profit” establishment. When did it become ok to demonize Free Enterprise? But I always knew about the Good Will’s educational programs and even business startups. This is a fabulous idea!